Pipe-cleaning machine.



B. B. HODGMAN. PIPE CLEANING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12, 1912.

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Patented May 2, 1916.

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BURT B. HODGMAN, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL WATER MAIN CLEANING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

PIPE-CLEANING MACHINE.-

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 2, 1916.

Application filed February 12,1912. Serial No. 677,240.

To all whom it may concern:

of East Orange, New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pipe-Cleaning Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for cleaning pipe lines, and is particularly adapted for the purpose of cleaning water mains or water pipes.

My object primarily is to provide a selfpropelled cleaning device, although many features of my invention may be used 1n a cable drawn device. I have found that in self-propelled pipe cleaning devices the tendency has been for the forward end of the shaft by reason of its weight to sag, the result being that in such an event the cleanmg blades at the lower side of the pipe assume the shaft lrrespectlve of the next sectlon. I

an angle which permits them to pass over the incru'stations without removing same, whilethe tendency is for the cleaning blades at the upper side of the pipe to be pulled away from the same, so that the pipe is not thoroughly" cleaned. To overcome this, I have "found that by providing cleaning members to be drawn through the pipe by the piston that any matter not removed by the cleaners that pass ahead of the piston will be taken care of by the cleaning members following the piston. I have also found that it is desirable to have the cleaning devices centered in relation to the pipe, and.

for this purpose I provide centering means hereinafter described. In order to assist in the removing of the incrusted matter, and so as to have it pass away immediately in front of the cleaning blades, I provide deflectors to deflectthe water or fluid against the interior of the pipe at a point where the cleaning blades engage to remove the incrusted matter.

In the drawingsFigure 1 shows my cleaning device within a pipe line. Figs. 2 and 3 represent enlarged details of the centering means. Fig. 4 shows a modification of 'a part of Fig. 1. A

In the drawings similar letters refer to similar parts.

1 is a pipe line in which the machine is placed. 2 is a shaft which as shown is composed of several shorter shafts connected toether by a ball and socket connection 3. If esired, this shaft may be made either in sections as shown, or in one piece, or may be made flexible. I prefer to make it in the form shown, or to make it flexible in some other way rather than in one piece, so as to permit the device to easily pass around curves or bends in the pipe line.

lie a. shaft carrying the two pistons 8, 8 having openings shown by the dotted lines, which openings may or may not be adjustable in size as desired. This shaft 4 is connected to the shaft 2 by means of the screw threaded joint 5.

6 is a shaft connected at the rear of the piston by the connection 7 7 or any desirable connection may be used, such for instance, as theball and socket connection?) shown as the connectionfor the sections of the shaft 2. The ball and socket joint 3 enables movement of the shaft in any directlon, and also the rotation of one part of have shown two pistons 8-, 8, mounted on the shaft 4, but in some instances it may be desirable only to use one. If two or more are used, it is desirable howeverto have a free space between them, as shown in Fig. 1, and it may be desirable to have the shaft 4 joint ed between the pistons by a ball and socket Jomt like coupling 3, or some similar joint like 7, 7

9, 9 are cleaning blades which, as shown in Flg. 1, are provided with toothed or saw edges to engage with the incrustations within the pipe. These cleaning blades are mounted upon a web 10 secured to shaft 2 by means of set screws and collars.

12 are cleaning blades in the form of scrapers'mounted on web 10 on shaft -2 by set screws or collars.

11, 11 are "deflectors inthe form of a circular fiat piece of metal held fixedly in place on the shaft 2 and adapted to deflect the water or other fluid within the pipe lines outwardly against the inner face of the pipe at the point where the cleaning members engage with the incrusted matter to remove it. In this way, the water assists in the removing of the incrusted matter from the pipe, and at the same time, carries the matter which is removed away from in front of the cleaning blades, so as to facilitate the cleaning. Upon the shaft 6 at the rear of the pistons 8, 8 are provided cleaning blades 13, 13 mounted upon flexible arms 14, which in turn are mounted upon supporting disks 15 held in position between two collars 16, 16. At the outer end of the flexible arm 14, I provide guide rollers 18.

In my device I provide means for centering the cleaning members in relation to the pipe line wliich consists of the web 19, shown in Fi s. 2 and 3, having at its outer ends the gnlde rollers 20. This centering device is provided with an opening adapted to permit the shaft of the cleaning machine to pass through, and the centering device is fixed in position by means of two lock nuts or collars; v

In Fig. 4 I have shown a modification which consists in connecting the rear part of the machine to the piston by means of a cable 22 engaging with a bolt 21 on the piston shaft and with an eye 23 on the end of the cleaning shaft. Such connection is only possible when you provide some means for centering the shaft carrying the cleaning members. Mounted upon the shaft 6 is also placed the centering device shown in Fig. 2, which is so constructed that the openings between the arms or webs 19 are of such size as to readily permit the removed matter to pass the centering members without obstructing the pipe line.

Many modifications could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, for instance, the shaft 6 could be made in sections as is the shaft 2, and connected together by the ball and socket joint 3, or other desirable connections. This would be advantageous in a pipe line where it was necessary to pass around'curves or bends.

I claim In a water pipe-cleaning machine, the

combination of a shaft, pipe-cleaning memhers mounted upon said shaft adapted to be rotated independently of each other, a plurality of pistons mounted on saidshaft and separated from each other by an unobstructed space, a shaft connected with the aforesaid shaft at the rear of said pistons, non-rotatable cleaning devices mounted on said shaft and centering devices independent of said cleaning devices mounted upon said shaft and adapted to hold said cleaning members in operative relation to the pipe to be cleaned, said last-mentioned shaft also provided with cone-shaped deflectors adapted to deflect the water in said pipe to cause it to act upon the matter being removed by the cleaning members.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' BURT B. HODGMAN.

Witnesses;

Geo. W. :MJILS, J12, Enwm Seem. 

